Share and Follow
Freestyle skiers from Team USA at the Winter Olympics have sparked backlash for their comments on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), asserting that they do not endorse ICE actions while competing under the American flag.
Hunter Hess, alongside fellow skier Chris Lillis, faced criticism on social media after they expressed a desire to disassociate themselves from the policies of the Trump administration and ICE. As reported by Breitbart News, Hess specifically highlighted that wearing the American flag does not equate to supporting every U.S. policy or action.
Hess commented on the complexity of representing the United States during such times, stating, “It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it—just because I’m wearing the flag, doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
“If he doesn’t like the flag and what it represents, he is welcome to find another country,” one person wrote in a post on X. “We don’t care.”
“I’m thinking the Olympics TV ratings aren’t going to be phenomenal,” one person wrote.
“Privileged Gen Z from Oregon hasn’t traveled much,” Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Richard Grenell wrote in a post. “He’s representing the greatest country in the world…move to Canada if you aren’t proud of wear USA.”
“And this is one reason I don’t plan to watch the Olympics,” another person wrote in a post, adding that “the other reason is it is just mostly boring.”